ABSTRACT
Fungal spoilage in food is one of the principal causes of food deterioration and wastages. Although, considerable advancements have been made in the traditional methods of fungal control, alternative methods using antifungal LAB and its metabolites offer a more natural solution in the wake of demand for minimally processed, natural foods. LAB produces an array of antifungal metabolites (such as organic acids, phenyllactate, fatty acids, proteinaceous compounds, volatiles, reuterin, etc.), which either act individually or in synergism with each other in different food systems. Many research reports have elucidated the desired inhibition of fungal contaminants present in various foods such as dairy, breads, fruits, and vegetables, animal feeds, etc., by LAB. Although, commercial antifungal formulations based on LAB are presently available for application in different food formats, more detailed research is still needed in terms of final food quality, stability during processing, mechanism of action, synergism activities, safety, etc. to fully harness their potential for commercial food exploitation.
